Sielwode
An elven kingdom
Regent: The Emerald Queen Isaelie watches over the Faerie Court of the Sielwode. Though she feels neutral toward humans and their kingdoms, she knows she must punish human encroachment harshly, lest men come to believe they can trespass on elf lands at will.
Isaelie has held the throne for more than a hundred years, and in that time has watched the human lands slowly coalesce from openly warring kingdoms into roughly their current shape. She knows that, despite the dangers hidden within her lands, the humans will eventually turn their gazes toward the Sielwode. The elves won't be able to resist them for long.
This sad queen feels the fate of her people heavily upon her shoulders. She can act savage at times, unwilling to accept humans' immense capacity for destruction. At these moments, she's likely to order the razing of every human settlement within 100 miles. However, she remains struck profoundly by any sort of beauty, whether human or elven, natural or created. Thus, she has borne several half-elf children from liaisons with beautiful human men.
Lieutenants: In the Sielwode, Corwin Rhysdiordan can get anything done. This tall, dark-haired, and bright-eyed elf awaits only the command of his queen before acting. If anyone can convince her of a course of action, he can. Rhysdiordan, a 7th-level ranger, has several human friends; likely his counsel keeps the queen quiet during some of her anti-human moods.
Provinces: The nine provinces of the Sielwode remain unexplored by humans—those with the temerity to try discover that the land itself turns against them. The capital of the Faerie Court is Siellaghriod, or "the Heart of the Shield." At its center lies the Crystal Palace, an edifice brought up from the core of the earth by the lore of past rulers. In this place of grandeur, a single candle held just right can illuminate the entire building.
Important NPCs: An emissary from Rhuobhe Manslayer currently resides in the Crystal Palace.
Adara Cuamhyrcha seeks the Emerald Queen as an ally and, perhaps, a wife for her master. She seems as much of a fanatic about humans as Rhuobhe— but he may not have corrupted her entirely.
Description: The Sielwode is no place for humans. As in Tuarhievel, the woods feel dark and brooding, but the aura of menace here is palpable. Where Tuarhievel holds little specific malice for humans, the nature of the Sielwode repels them. Flitting faerie and slow-moving treant alike disdain contact with humans and want only to drive them from the forest or lure them into danger. The land, while not evil, has awakened and learned hatred for mankind.
Bogs lie in clearings across the perimeter of the land, shielded by trees until a traveler is nearly upon them. The unwary might find themselves hip deep in quicksand before they know it. Thorn hedges rise up between trees, blocking those who don't know the way from entering the wood. Flowers dangle from trees, spewing a narcotic into the faces of those who pass too close—some victims never wake from this slumber.
But not everything in the Sielwode holds danger. Some glens possess such beauty as to make a human die from the mere sight. Oak groves cluster around crystal-clear pools, while roses bloom on vines that wrap tree trunks.
Isaelie has held the throne for more than a hundred years, and in that time has watched the human lands slowly coalesce from openly warring kingdoms into roughly their current shape. She knows that, despite the dangers hidden within her lands, the humans will eventually turn their gazes toward the Sielwode. The elves won't be able to resist them for long.
This sad queen feels the fate of her people heavily upon her shoulders. She can act savage at times, unwilling to accept humans' immense capacity for destruction. At these moments, she's likely to order the razing of every human settlement within 100 miles. However, she remains struck profoundly by any sort of beauty, whether human or elven, natural or created. Thus, she has borne several half-elf children from liaisons with beautiful human men.
Lieutenants: In the Sielwode, Corwin Rhysdiordan can get anything done. This tall, dark-haired, and bright-eyed elf awaits only the command of his queen before acting. If anyone can convince her of a course of action, he can. Rhysdiordan, a 7th-level ranger, has several human friends; likely his counsel keeps the queen quiet during some of her anti-human moods.
Provinces: The nine provinces of the Sielwode remain unexplored by humans—those with the temerity to try discover that the land itself turns against them. The capital of the Faerie Court is Siellaghriod, or "the Heart of the Shield." At its center lies the Crystal Palace, an edifice brought up from the core of the earth by the lore of past rulers. In this place of grandeur, a single candle held just right can illuminate the entire building.
Important NPCs: An emissary from Rhuobhe Manslayer currently resides in the Crystal Palace.
Adara Cuamhyrcha seeks the Emerald Queen as an ally and, perhaps, a wife for her master. She seems as much of a fanatic about humans as Rhuobhe— but he may not have corrupted her entirely.
Description: The Sielwode is no place for humans. As in Tuarhievel, the woods feel dark and brooding, but the aura of menace here is palpable. Where Tuarhievel holds little specific malice for humans, the nature of the Sielwode repels them. Flitting faerie and slow-moving treant alike disdain contact with humans and want only to drive them from the forest or lure them into danger. The land, while not evil, has awakened and learned hatred for mankind.
Bogs lie in clearings across the perimeter of the land, shielded by trees until a traveler is nearly upon them. The unwary might find themselves hip deep in quicksand before they know it. Thorn hedges rise up between trees, blocking those who don't know the way from entering the wood. Flowers dangle from trees, spewing a narcotic into the faces of those who pass too close—some victims never wake from this slumber.
But not everything in the Sielwode holds danger. Some glens possess such beauty as to make a human die from the mere sight. Oak groves cluster around crystal-clear pools, while roses bloom on vines that wrap tree trunks.
